


to run under a stormy sky

by malahmente



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Hotcup, Memory Loss, Temporary Amnesia, amnesia!Astrid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-10-16 02:16:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17540750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malahmente/pseuds/malahmente
Summary: “Astrid, are you okay?”And suddenly ‘Hiccup’ was too close, with his brows furrowed with concern and fingers ghosting over her temple. She jumped back in surprise and did the only thing she could think of.She punched him.





	1. part one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm hyping myself up for httyd 3, so i re-wrote something from years ago. enjoy!
> 
> more of me at malahmente @ tumblr.

“By Odin,” Astrid hissed for the tenth time, and she almost expected the protective curl his fingers made over the sore spot at the base of her skull. It was late and the fact that she was holed up in her really dark bedroom—too dark, honestly, it had never been _this_ dark—sitting next to _him._

 _Him_ , of all people, on her _bed_ , of all places, with a basin of half-melted ice and a washcloth and a lot of other medical paraphernalia to tend to her bruises and scrapes. Which wasn’t as bad as it sounded, but when he claimed to be her _boyfriend_ , of all things, it made her head pound harder. Where were her _parents_ , anyway?

“You okay?” he whispered, also for the tenth time.  

“For the _last time_ ,” she grit, “Leave me _alone_.” 

He frowned. “And for the last time, _Astrid_ , I _won’t do that_." He answered her tersely, but it was obvious that he wasn’t losing patience. Just… worried. She wanted to smack him for being ridiculous. But…

The last thing she remembered was a dragon raid and Hiccup—small, scrawny Hiccup, who was a runt and a klutz and as useless as they came—said he shot down a Night Fury, like an idiot, like the usual Hiccup.

Not this… this… this _person_ —this tall, concerned, admittedly handsome ‘Hiccup’— 

“Do you need anything?” he asked. Astrid’s train of thought violently, to her immense relief, crashed into a wall before she thought of _more_ ridiculous thoughts. She flinched when he leaned closer.

‘Hiccup’ took the cue to pull back, but the disappointment that clouded his eyes like a fog settling over a forest was something she could _feel_. She met his eyes in the dim light, almost by reflex, and an apology was prepared to launch itself from her throat.

Astrid caught herself and wrestled down the urge using sheer force of will. Astrid _Hofferson_ apologizing to Hiccup the Useless? _Ha_!

Well, he wasn’t really so useless… _now_ , that is. He’d tended to her bruises and wounds with remarkable care, muttering about dragons and stubborn vikings all the while. Whatever happened that involved a fallen dragon (she shuddered, her perturbation rising even more) and the piercing headache that resembled a cannonball bouncing around in her skull.

“ _No_ ,” she all but yelled, hoping that her hostility would drive this… this man, who was _so not Hiccup_ , away. But instead of flinching like Hiccup would usually do, ‘Hiccup’ just sighed and sent her a patient, kind smile that made her bristle. “Why are you helping me?” she blurted.

The smile never wavered and he fished out a small block of ice and wrapped it in the cloth. She flinched when he took her arm. “Relax,” he murmured, “There’s a scrape near your elbow. I just want to make sure it doesn’t get worse.” He gingerly pulled her arm towards him and lightly pressed the ice on the dark spot on her skin.  

‘Hiccup’ had taken the time to explain that she fell from her Deadly Nadder during a rough, stormy flight—he had grinned wryly at the irony of it, she had no idea why—and that she hit her head at the fall at an unfortunately-placed rock near the bottom of a cliff. It was a hard hit, but thankfully the rock was rather blunt.

(Honestly, the first question she had was: _Why_ was she even on a Deadly Nadder in the _first place_? Was she about to be eaten? If so, then shouldn’t he be _happy_ that she _hadn’t_ become dragon chow?)

According to him, she passed out after that, understandably—and when she awoke almost half a day later, ‘Hiccup’ was tending to her bumps and bruises late in the night, with nothing but a lit torch in the corner. Her hazy brain barely had time to register anything but her fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, and she violently charged at him with fists flying.

‘Hiccup’ expertly dodged every single one of her blows and grabbed this spot by her waist that just sent her still, eyes wide. He gently led her back to the bed and sat down next to her, gently manoeuvring her so he could examine the cuts the violent waves left on her skin. 

“Careful with your shoulder,” he said, breaking the silence. “Stormfly was probably pretty panicked when she grabbed you. It should heal in a few weeks, though.” 

She swore under her breath when she felt him spread a cool salve to her skin. It gave a sharp sting, but the pain dissipated the instant ‘Hiccup’ blew on it. Astrid heard a click and the shadows moved. Hiccup knelt in front of her.

“You should get more rest,” he told her, voice hushed but firm. She glared at him.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she said, tone sharp and biting. ‘Hiccup’ just smiled and stood up, gathering his supplies with him. 

“I’ll be outside if you need anything,” he said earnestly. Astrid felt like the glare she shot him was weak but deserved. Who does he think he is, just waltzing into her room and claiming to be her _boyfriend_ , and—

He leaned over unexpectedly and kissed the top of her head tenderly, the most natural action in the world, before turning and walking to the door. With one hand on the handle and a dim casting sharp—and _handsome_ , Astrid belatedly realized—angles on his face, ‘Hiccup’ smiled at her. “Good night, Astrid.” He stepped into the dark and closed the door. 

Astrid felt her head pound even harder at the dull feeling of delight the moment his lips touched her hair—a feeling that made her toes tingle and her heartbeat jump. Her mind buzzed, more alert than anything, trying damnedest to reason out that the reason she was suddenly feeling so light-headed was because she had a possible concussion, nothing more.

Especially nothing that had to do with… ‘Hiccup.’

Astrid fell back into the furs with a groan of defeat.


	2. part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more of me at malahmente @ tumblr.
> 
> un-beta'd.

“You should stop scratching at it,” she heard from a small distance away, from the grown version of the boy she had hardly cared to know about. Her eyes drifted from the fire to his physique, lean and broad and ruggedly handsome, hunched over as he sat on the stairs. It was absurd, how she never gave him a second thought but now had to force herself to look away. 

Astrid glared at his amused smile, wanting nothing more than to shout profanities, but followed nonetheless. She lowered her hand from the small cut underneath her arm and bunched up in her furs close to the fireplace. 

The storm hadn’t let up, so they were holed in. When she had gone down from her room, ‘Hiccup’ had just finished preparing some stew and a washcloth for her, even going so far as to offering to give her a massage—which she vehemently protested, because Hiccup the Useless wasn’t going anywhere near her immediate vicinity with bare hands.

Bare hands that were rough with labor, she remembered, when they pressed into her skin last night and took care of her, gently pressing ice into her bruises. Fingers tracing over the back of her neck when she winced…

She shivered, but not from the cold.

The stairs creaked when Hiccup stood. “I’ll go get you more furs.” 

The cry of protest tumbled out of her mouth at an octave too high, and she cleared her throat. “No, I’m fine.” 

“You sure?” he said, his voice low and doing things to Astrid that she would rather not have done to her. Two words and it already sent her reeling, and it wasn’t unfamiliar—all morning, every time he opened his mouth and he spoke, she would get a chill that made her hairs stand on end, made her look at him, look at his green eyes and handsome face and see him. See him when she’d rather not.

_Odin’s beard_ , she swore. She was still trying to figure out her situation—falling off of a dragon (a _dragon_!) in the middle of a storm and forgetting three years worth of memories.

Three years worth of memories and, apparently, almost all of them had to do with… ‘Hiccup.’

“Astrid, are you okay?”

And suddenly ‘Hiccup’ was too close, with his brows furrowed with concern and fingers ghosting over her temple. She jumped back in surprise and did the only thing she could think of.

She punched him. 

Her fist darted out to punch him, square in the nose if her aim was perfect (and it was always perfect), and she almost panicked because she hadn’t been thinking and what if—what if she actually _hurt him_ —

Astrid shouldn’t care, really, whether or not ‘Hiccup’ had a broken nose because of her accurate aim, but she didn’t have time to think about it when he caught her fist in his hand.

He caught. Her fist. In his hand.

“Easy there,” he said lightly, putting away her hand and rubbing her knuckles free from tension. Her breathing hitched in her throat and a flash of familiarity filled her mind, a particularly stormy Snoggletog spent huddled in front of the fireplace, rubbing warm into each other’s hands. He was a gentleman, asking her what she needed at almost every single second he could until she got irritated and smacked him a clean one straight to his side.

“You never caught my punches before,” she said without warning. ‘Hiccup’s eyes flashed towards her, wide and mildly excited, and Astrid’s hand went to her mouth.

“Hey,” he breathed, relief mixed into his words. “Hey.“

 Astrid shook her head. "I don't know what I'm saying."  _I don’t remember_ , she meant.

‘Hiccup’ unraveled her fist and massaged her knuckles lightly. Astrid felt her heart beat faster. “You okay?” he asked her, seeming to understand the message.

Astrid nodded tersely, trying to _not_ focus on how nice it felt when he held her hand.

“Anything I can do?”

_No_ , she wanted to say. “Just—Just stay.”

“All right." ‘Hiccup’ smiled, eyes bright and green, and the crackling fire that reflected in his eyes seemed oddly fitting.

"Away, I mean," she corrected immediately. 

He seemed to be amused by that and let go of her hand to sit a comfortable distance away.

"Of course," 'Hiccup' responded, smiling at her. "Just let me know if you need anything."

Astrid hummed and stared back at the fire, ignoring her the fluttering in her stomach, and the warmth that spread through her chest.


	3. part three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is it weird that i put when i should update this story in my bullet journal?
> 
> anyway, fyi on this story—i haven't watched riders of berk or race to the edge, so if any characters appear where they shouldn't, you should know that this is purely from my noggin.
> 
> more at malahmente @ tumblr.

Astrid made a run for it.

Once the storm had eased up later that afternoon, Astrid’s parents—older, wearier, but _happier_ somehow, than how she recalled them looking—had burst in and coddled her. _Coddled_ her. 

She hadn’t been coddled since she could walk.

Hiccup’s father had entered their home after her parents but she had only seen his shadow, because her parents’ faces had been clouding her vision and she hadn’t seen her mother worried about her since she was _six_ —

“Are ye all right, Astrid?” the older woman had cried, taking her daughter’s face in her hands and shaking it slightly. “Hiccup came ta us last night and told us wha’ happened!” 

“I’m—” she had started, but her father had cut her off. 

“We were up all night worried about ye! Draftin’ that contract took longer than expected, seein’ as it’s the chief’s son we’re talkin’ about.” He had grinned merrily at ‘Hiccup,’ who smiled wearily in return, but somehow Astrid had been able to tell that his mood was inching closer to panicked than happy. “I’m tellin’ ya, you’re very lucky ta be marryin’ him!” her father had exclaimed, and Astrid’s blood had frozen so quickly she was _sure_ the moment her insides turned to ice, an audible _crack_ reverberated around the room.

“ _Marrying_?” she had repeated slowly, disbelievingly, eyes darting to ‘Hiccup’ for an explanation. He had been red in the face now, with eyes wide and gaping like a cod fresh out of water. 

“Yes, Astrid, you silly girl! Or have ya forgot—” Whatever her father had wanted to say was cut off when he laid his eyes on the bandage on the base of his daughter’s skull. “What—”

“She fell,” ‘Hiccup’ had blurted, green eyes wide and panicked while everyone else’s darted to him. Chief Stoick had inched closer towards his frantic, rambling son. “She fell just like I told you guys—I rushed her to her room and I went out and told you and then I went back and prepared the fire, prepared her room and I _swear_ before I continue I didn’t _do_ anything else—”

“Hiccup,” Chief Stoick had started slowly, looking back and forth between Astrid and his son, “Wha’ happened?“  

“She, uh,” he stammered then, “Well, you see dad, when someone falls and hits their head—”

“ _What happened,_  son,” Stoick had said, more firmly and just the slightest bit threatening.

“She can’t remember anything.” His voice was small frail and so much like the Hiccup she knew  _before_ that a feeling of longing had throbbed painfully at Astrid’s chest. She couldn’t even begin to fathom why.  

“ _What_?” Astrid’s mother had cried and rushed over to the boy—man— _person_ Astrid couldn’t put her finger on. “What do ya _mean_ she can't _remember_ anythin’?” Angry words had poured out of her mother’s mouth and her father had shuffled close behind, trying to talk to the chief, leaving her alone in the middle of the room.

And then ‘Hiccup’ was busy trying to placate her parents while Chief Stoick had stared at her with a concerned expression. Astrid was confused as to _why_ at first, and then she had realized _they were drafting a marriage contract for her and 'Hiccup’_ and she looked away, both warmed and irked by the thought ( _fact_ , she reminded herself grimly). She didn’t bother to figure out which emotion was winning. 

The dull light of the sunset had cast its rays unto the floor of her home through the open door, and with sudden, fierce resolve the blonde girl ran out of the house and into the drizzling atmosphere of the late afternoon as fast as she could, ignoring the cries behind her.


	4. part four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's watching the HTTYD 3 today?
> 
> in case anyone's lost, this whole fic ignores HTTYD 2 completely, as i wrote it before the film was even released.

The storm was an unpredictable thing, calm and light for some time and then pouring back down in torrents once she set foot in the forest. Something told her that she should go back, because it’s pouring and it’s dangerous and then—and then ‘Hiccup’s face flashed in her mind and she determinedly trudged forward.

It was nearing nightfall and something akin to fear settled at the pit of Astrid’s stomach, but she dismissed the notion without a second thought. Astrid Hofferson, _scared_? Ha!

Something flashed in her mind—a memory, she realized, and she tried to grasp it before it flew away.

Flew…

_“Hiccup, get me down from here!”_

She was high up, hanging from a tree, and Hiccup she remembered was reaching out to her and—

Her vision flashed white for a moment and in its suddenness, she clung to a nearby tree, groaning. The rain was beating against her back and blurred her vision. Her fingers traced against rough bark, and she glanced at it briefly, and another white flash occupied her senses—

She hurled her axe against a tree, anger powering her swing. She pulled it out, and with a yell she charged at something behind her—Hiccup, carrying—carrying _something_ —

With a frustrated yell, she ran forward, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head. She noticed that the bandage at the base of her neck slipped off, soaked through and brought away by the rain, and she prodded the spot. It was still sore, but it wasn’t bleeding.

Astrid kept pushing past the trees and shrubbery, half cursing herself for being dumb enough to go out into the forest in the middle of a storm, but half determined to find shelter. She navigated herself through the woods in through the pelting rain, but the rain was so strong and she had stepped somewhere and she slipped—

She hit her head and stars flickered behind her eyelids. Astrid crashed to the ground with a shout and cradled her head, images flashing into her mind’s eye. She did all that she could not to cry, but the voice that called out for her attacked her chest with pain and longing.

“Astrid,” she heard, disbelief coating the words. This was at the forge, she recalled dimly, with Hiccup, and she had an outlandish idea for a saddle of sorts, and the boy was torn between laughing and slamming his head against a wooden pole—

“Astrid,” she heard again, but this time Hiccup was different—taller, she noticed—and he was exasperated, staring at her while she wrestled with Snotlout because he had flirted with her when she knew she was with Hi—

“Astrid,” she heard once more, and the voice was warm, inviting, alluring and Astrid’s heart beat faster. She vaguely remembered lips pressed against her neck and hands trailing her sides and she felt like she was on fire, like her heart was about to burst from the heat.

“Astrid!” she heard again, but this time rougher and harsher and more urgent, and Astrid realized that someone was calling her. The rain pelted her form and she was half covered and mud and she was slipping farther and farther down as she screamed, and screamed and screamed and screamed. The voice yelled something she couldn’t understand.

Astrid’s survival instinct kicked in and her hand shot out to grab at a stray root, halting her fall. Her eyes darted and tried to get a bearing on her surroundings and—wait, she _knew_ this place—

“ _Are you training with someone_?” The cove, yes, and—

Her memories came in torrents, as strong as the raindrops beating down on her skin.

_“It’s… amazing. He’s amazing.”_

_“Hiccup!”_

_“That’s for scaring me.”_

The sharp flare of everything clicking into place rendered her confused and disoriented more than she already was and she let go with a yelp. “Hiccup!” she cried desperately, grasping at anything that she could, the edges of the earth leaving small cuts on her hands.

“Please,” she shrieked, “Hiccup—Hiccup, help me!”

Hiccup yelled something in response but the rain was thick, her blood rushing loud in her ears, and soon she was falling, no longer supported by rough gravel. She had fallen through to the entrance of the cove.

“HICCUP!” she cried out, because she may very well be falling to her death.

“ _Come on, bud_!” she heard, and something grabbed her leg. Astrid was flung into the air and she crash landed into someone’s arms. Hiccup’s arms.

Relief flooded through her and she went limp. She heard him panic above her, instructing Toothless to find shelter closest to where they were. The dragon navigated them to a nearby cave and Hiccup immediately slid her out of her wet clothes, telling Toothless to start a fire. She felt herself being carried and soon she was warm, the bare skin of her back pressed snugly against a broad chest.

Her vision was clouded and blurry and her head was throbbing, and everything faded to black.


End file.
